Word Count: 550
Ages: Tsuna- 13
Kurama- 15
Gokudera-14
Lambo- 5
"A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives."
~Jackie Robinson
Tsuna wasn't sure what to think when his older brother came home late one night with a black eye. His brother had been acting strange lately. Going off with Hiei-nii in the dead of night when they thought no one would notice. He knew it had something to do with their mom being hospitalized.
Shuichi-nii had grown nearly frantic when her condition took a sudden dive. Not even the strangely skittish Dr. Shamal could figure out what was wrong, much less treat her. Not that he really wanted the pervert near his mother, to begin with. Tsuna had thought the man was an unreliable pervert when he first met him and from Gokudera's description of him, but he had been perfectly civil when trying to treat his mother.
Tsuna had a sneaking suspicion his brother was involved in that sudden change in personality.
It was hard to manage a distraught Lambo and irate Gokudera on top of the fear of his mother's emanate death. Yamamoto helped a little bit, but he still felt stressed. He had tried to seek comfort with his brother, but the older boy was distant. He drifted about the house lost in thought, sometimes muttering to himself. Tsuna knew he blamed himself for their mother's sickness, though he didn't know why.
That's why he got really scared when Shuichi-nii left that afternoon.
He had a weird glint in his eye as he hugged Tsuna tightly. Even Gokudera was concerned. Though Reborn was unreadable as ever.
His stomach kept doing flips.
He stayed awake, curled up in the middle of the entry hall even though his brother said he wouldn't be back.
He did come back.
With a black eye and more worn than Tsuna had ever seen him.
He took one look at Tsuna and sunk down to the floor clutching him tightly to his chest while whispering broken apologies.
That was the first time he had ever witnessed his brother cry.
All of his questions flew out the window as he returned the desperate hug and dissolved into tears.
They fell asleep there, tears drying on their faces.
The next day their mother was released from the hospital. Apparently, she had made a complete recovery overnight. The Doctors were astounded.
There was a strange boy waiting for them in the lobby. He grinned widely and slapped Shuichi-nii on the back. Tsuna expected his brother to politely turn the boy away like he had done numerous times to various people. The other teen looked like a delinquent type. Tsuna knew his brother disliked them.
However, his brother just smiled.
A true smile.
Gokudera and Reborn looked like they were having trouble holding back questions, but Tsuna only smiled and politely greeted the other boy when Shuichi-nii introduced them. Tsuna decided this Yusuke person was definitely someone worth knowing if he made his brother smile like that.
His brother was strange in many ways and sometimes Tsuna really wanted to know what went on in his head.
But today was a good day. His mother was well, his brother had found a new friend, and neither Gokudera nor Lambo had managed to blow anything up, yet.
Besides, Shuichi-nii was his big brother.
And that's all that mattered in the end.
There will be a better explanation of why sun flames wouldn't work in a later chapter. (Probably from Kurama's pov) along with a chapter where Kurama meets Yusuke and trying to make his wish on the mirror. A lot of you guys asked about it or mentioned it, so I wanted to reassure you. I don't really plan on doing anything in chronological order, but I definitely will get to these scenes eventually.
Thank you guys so much for the support! I can't believe this little fic has reached a hundred favorites already! That just amazes me! :D